Baked spaghetti with ricotta cheese that is easy to make. Made in 45 minutes this casserole uses cooked spaghetti blended with eggs and spices, topped with ricotta cheese, spaghetti sauce, and cheese then baked into a kid-friendly dinner. Gluten-free.
Whether spaghetti is your comfort food or your family’s favorite meal, this dish is a must-try recipe. The best part is you are able to customize this recipe as much or as little as you wish. This recipe is delicious on its own but check out the all the different ways to spice up this dish as you read along.
Why Make Baked Spaghetti?
You’ll love this recipe because it’s simple, has an amazing flavor, can be customized to your liking and is kid-approved.
Simply assemble the ingredients then bake right away or store in the fridge overnight if looking to prep in advance.
This easy baked spaghetti with ricotta will become a family favorite that no one can resist requesting time and time again!
Do I Have To Boil Pasta Before Baking?
Yes! You will want to cook the spaghetti noodles per the box instructions, cool slightly then incorporate into the recipe. Cooking the noodles before turning into a pasta bake ensures the spaghetti is cooked to perfection without compromising the texture of the whole recipe.
What Are The Ingredients?
- Gluten-free spaghetti noodles
- Jar spaghetti sauce – if your preference is to use a homemade spaghetti sauce, go right ahead by swapping in 3 cups of sauce.
- Eggs
- Spices – the combination of the basil, garlic powder, and oregano is a tasty blend that can also be replaced with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
- Low-fat ricotta cheese – the low-fat variety keeps this dish lower in calories and fat but can easily be replaced with a full-fat option if preferred.
- Shredded parmesan, mozzarella and Colby jack cheese – use all three or adjust the quantity if looking to top with only one cheese variety.
How To Make
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Add ingredients to the cooked spaghetti noodles
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti (cooled slightly), whisked eggs, basil, oregano, and spaghetti sauce. Mix well and pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan.
Prep the ricotta cheese
In a mixing bowl blend the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Add half of the mixture on top of the spaghetti. Add the rest of the spaghetti then the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with the mozzarella cheese and Colby jack cheese.
Bake
Bake the spaghetti bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Sides For Spaghetti
If on the search for the best sides to serve with this meatless baked spaghetti, you are in luck!
Our favorite go-to is a tossed salad. Crisp leafy greens topped with chopped veggies not only adds a pop of color to the table but also a nutrient boost for my family. We rotate drizzling our Dairy Free Ranch Dressing, Strawberry Vinaigrette, and Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing on top of the salad.
For other sides that pair well with pasta, consider:
- Gluten Free Artisan Bread spread with butter or drizzled with oil & balsamic vinegar.
- Roasted Broccoli and Carrots topped with simple seasonings and grated parmesan cheese.
- Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts seasoned with salt or a family favorite spice.
Storing Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti
In The Fridge
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a covered baking dish or cut into individual servings. After the 5th day, discard the leftovers for food safety concerns.
In The Freezer
An easy way to freeze this dish is to cut the spaghetti bake into individual servings, place on a baking sheet, freeze them for an hour & then transfer them into individual Ziplock bags. This recipe for baked spaghetti can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The next time you need a dinner meal for the week or to accommodate a guest food preference, these reheatable servings will be right at your fingertips.
Reheating Instructions
To reheat, remove from the Ziplock bag & place the frozen spaghetti onto a microwave-safe plate to heat. You can also thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in a preheated oven at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
It can be helpful to cover the baked leftover spaghetti with foil when reheating to prevent the top layer from burning.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Add broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach and/or your favorite vegetable(s) to the spaghetti mix. We recommend sautéing first.
- Swap the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese or crumbled tofu.
- Learn How To Freeze Cooked Pasta if you end up with any leftover spaghetti noodles.
- For a little extra flavor, top your pasta bake with fresh herbs like oregano or basil.
- If serving to a large crowd, cover the baking dish with foil (spray the foil first to prevent it sticking to the cheesy top) and keep warm in a 200°F oven until time to serve.
- Make a day in advance by following the directions as written to assemble then cover with foil to store in the fridge until the next day. Bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, we cooked the spaghetti prior to mixing with the other ingredients. Then, we added the cooked spaghetti mix to the baking dish and layered on the ingredients. You could also add the spaghetti mixture to muffin tins & layer on the remaining ingredients – makes for kid-friendly portions once baked.
Yes, you can, which is why it is important to first boil the pasta then bake the spaghetti. Always go in that order when making this recipe.
The pasta bake may be watery if fresh or frozen vegetables have been added without sauteing or defrosting. For fresh, we recommend chopping then sauteing until cooked then mixing into the bake. For frozen, thaw overnight then press out the excess water or drain.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- The recipe calls for mixing slightly cooled spaghetti with the eggs, spices and sauce – do you know why? Let us share a little secret! If you mix freshly cooked spaghetti that is still very hot with eggs, it could cook the egg. By cooling the pasta before, you don’t have to worry about that happening. The spaghetti noodles can be cooled by stirring to release the steam or by setting in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
- You can scoop the ricotta mixture on top of the spaghetti by using a large spoon, spatula or even an ice cream scoop. Remember, you only want to add half of the ricotta mixture at first that way you can add another layer of pasta before the final layer of ricotta.
- Every oven cooks a little different, which is why you often see a range for the baking time. For this recipe, the range is 25-30 minutes. Start by setting the timer to 25 minutes then check the dish. Is the cheese bubbly? If so, ask for assistance to remove from the oven. If not, cook for another 5 minutes then recheck.
More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes:
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Baked Spaghetti With Ricotta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti noodles cooked per box instructions
- 24 ounces jar spaghetti sauce ✅
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 tablespoon dried basil ✅
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano ✅
- 16 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese ✅
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese ✅
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ✅
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ✅
- 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese ✅
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add ingredients to the cooked spaghetti noodles. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti (cooled slightly), whisked eggs, basil, oregano, and spaghetti sauce. Mix well and pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan.12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti noodles, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 24 ounces jar spaghetti sauce
- Prep the ricotta cheese. In a mixing bowl blend the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Add half of the mixture on top of the spaghetti. Add the rest of the spaghetti then the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with the mozzarella cheese and Colby jack cheese.16 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⭐️Bake. Bake the spaghetti bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Notes
- Add broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach and/or your favorite vegetable(s) to the spaghetti mix. We recommend sautéing first.
- Swap the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese or crumbled tofu.
- Learn How To Freeze Cooked Pasta if you end up with any leftover spaghetti noodles.
- For a little extra flavor, top your pasta bake with fresh herbs like oregano or basil.
- If serving to a large crowd, cover the baking dish with foil (spray the foil first to prevent it sticking to the cheesy top) and keep warm in a 200°F oven until time to serve.
- Make a day in advance by following the directions as written to assemble then cover with foil to store in the fridge until the next day. Bake as directed.
Nutrition
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Kathryn says
I love the other baked spaghetti recipe on this site. This one is just as good! Kids all loved it.
laura kolberg says
where are the vegetables in this recipe…kinda strange to me
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Laura. This recipe is a vegetarian version of the more traditional meat-based baked spaghetti. The recipe is vegetarian and has no meat in it. Feel free to add vegetables to the sauce if you’re looking for more veggies.
ashok says
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.